January 2021 Current Affairs GK-Daily Updated

• As part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India initiative PM virtually laid foundation stones to Light House projects in six cities. They are Indore, Rajkot, Chennai, Ranchi, Agartala, and Lucknow.
• Indian Army signed an agreement with Goa Shipyard Ltd to procure high-performance patrolling boats. 
• RBI introduced Digital Payments Index for measuring growth in cashless transactions in the country.
• International Financial Services Centres Authority which is for regulating all financial activities at IFSC's in India has become an associate member of the International Organisation of Securities Commission. 
• India started its two-year non-permanent membership to the UN Security Council from January 1,2021. It was elected by a whopping majority in the voting conducted during June 2020 (184 of 193 votes). This is the 8th time India has been elected as such. The first was during 1950-51. Russia, France, China, the US, and the UK are the permanent members. Other non-permanent members are Niger, Estonia, Vietnam, Tunisia, Saint Vincent, Grenadines. Ireland, Mexico, Kenya, and Norway also joined these non-permanent members.
• NAFED will invest 1700 crore rupees in J&K for implementing High-Density Plantations across 5500 hectares in the next five years.
• Britain rolled out a low-cost and easily transportable Covid 19 vaccine. It is the first nation to do so.
• Brian Pinker will be the first person in the world to receive the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine.
• A tripartite contract between India, the Government of West Bengal, and the World Bank for improving inland water transport infrastructure in West Bengal have been signed. The total cost of the project is estimated at USD 105 million. The loan has a tenure of 17 years which includes a grace period of 7 years.
• UP government launched a program named 'Kisan Kalyan Mission'. This is aimed to double the income of farmers. 
• World Bank released Global Economic Prospects Report by which the Indian economy will contract by 9.6% in 2020-21. It will recover by 5.4% in 2021-22.
• The Government of Odisha emphasized the need for strictly monitoring pangolin poaching and trading through social media platforms. It is an endangered animal as per IUCN Red List. There are 8 species of pangolins in which Indian and Chinese are found in India.
• CSIR, Kerala scientists proposed a product from Banana named Banana granules/ grit. This is said to improve intestinal health. The concept is aimed to take advantage of starch resistance in bananas.
• 40th edition of scientific Expedition to Antartica by Indian Scientists began from Goa. There are 43 members. The aim is to support scientific projects on climate change, geology, electric and magnetic flux measurement. It will study the geology and monitor the environment. The program began in 1981.
• PM inaugurated 3000 crore rupees gas pipeline connecting Karnataka and Kerala.